The JPP party has requested an extraordinary session of the permanent committee to enable the immediate hearing of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Internal Administration, as articulated by MP Filipe Sousa to José Pedro Aguiar-Branco. Alternatively, the party proposes a debate involving these two government officials in a newly convened meeting of the permanent committee.
The JPP is also pushing for discussions on “failures in fire prevention and combat strategies, governmental decisions regarding the release of arsonists,” and the implementation of “urgent measures to immediately support populations affected by the fires,” such as housing, compensations, and restoration of essential services.
“The severity of the situation demands swift, effective, and transparent responses. Therefore, the Assembly of the Republic must fully embrace its role in scrutinizing and crafting solutions, amplifying the voices of communities clamoring for action across the country,” the party asserts.
The JPP further commented that the “magnitude of the tragedy” may soon necessitate the submission of a proposal for establishing a parliamentary inquiry commission aimed at rigorously and independently examining the structural causes of this calamity and identifying associated political and institutional responsibilities.
MP Filipe Sousa voiced criticism regarding the “silence and lack of political action” while the nation “burns,” asserting that “the indifference of those in power is more severe than the fire itself consuming the country.”
The permanent committee, a body of the Assembly of the Republic, operates outside regular sessions, such as during dissolutions or parliamentary recesses, and plays a role in overseeing constitutional compliance and monitoring government activity.
Before the parliamentary recess, the leaders’ conference scheduled the permanent committee meeting for September 10, seven days before the first plenary meeting of the month. However, the JPP is seeking the convening of an extraordinary meeting in the coming days.
